Sony springs a surprise, reveals driverless car at CES 2020

ABU DHABI: Japanese electronics giant Sony Corporation sprang a surprise yesterday at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020 by revealing a driverless, all-electric concept sedan. The Vision-S prototype car, according to Sony, is a way to contribute to a safer and more reliable autonomous driving experience.

The Vision-S has 33 embedded sensors, 13 more than the Tesla Models X and S, used to monitor and detect presence of objects and people both outside and inside the car. These include sensing and imaging technologies, along with an onboard software controlled by Sony’s artificial intelligence (AI) system, telecommunication and cloud technologies.

Revealing the car, Sony chief executive officer, Kenichiro Yoshida said that it won’t be an exaggeration to comment that mobility will be the next mega-trend of this decade. 

The Minato-headquartered company has said that cars in the Vision-S series would display Sony’s developments in the field of mobility solutions. The showcased car uses a Solid State Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) that doesn’t need moving parts to come up with digital 3D images of real-life spaces. 

Safety features in the Vision-S prototype sedan comprise a sensor fusion technology where data is collected from several sources. It also includes an in-cabin Time-of-Flight sensor.

The Vision-S prototype, in terms of design, looks similar to the Tesla Model 3 all-electric sedan. The Vision-S is a four-passenger car and is hauled by two 200kw electric motors. Each motor powers one axle. Sony claims that the car can reach 0-100kmph in 4.8 seconds, while its top speed is 240kmph. The car, according to Sony, has a number of electronic technologies that offers unprecedented in-car entertainment. These include a panoramic screen, which spans the dashboard and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. The car has in-built speakers in each seat to offer an immersive audio experience. 

Sony, however, has not yet disclosed whether it has any immediate plans to start commercial productions of the Vision-S. The car, as of now, is a demonstration of the company’s capabilities in electronics and allied domains. Sony has joined hands with companies like Continental, Nvidia, Qualcomm, ZF, and Bosch to develop the Vision-S prototype car.

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